Toy gun



March 5, 1957 R. A. CHARVAT TOY GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 7, 1955IN! 'E!\' TOR.

ROBERT A. CHARVAT /ATTORNEYS March 5; 1957 R. A. CHARVAT 2,783,588

TOY GUN Filed NOV. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I; I I l9 u 1| IT E I;I2; La

@ JNVENTOR.

ROBERT A. CHARVAT 5 5 BY AT TORNEYS March 5, 1957 Filed Nov. 7, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 3 llb zb YR INVENTOR. ROBERT A. CHARVAT AT TORNEYS UnitedStates Patent C F TOY GUN Robert A. Charvat, Bay Village, Ohio, assignorto American Arts & Crafts, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication November 7, 1955, Serial No. 545,265 Claims. (CL 46227) Myinvention relates to a toy gun. It has to do, more specifically, with atoy gun provided with a translucent or transparent barrel and inwhichthe movement of a projectile is simulated by a series of electriclight bulbs spaced along the barrel which are illuminated rapidly andsuccessively from the rear of the barrel to the front end thereof by thepulling of the trigger. In the accompanying drawings, I have illustratedexamples of my invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a toy pistol in which myinvention is embodied.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a switch bar used in the gun of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a contactor wire used in thepistol of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the wire.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line 5-5ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a contact finger incontact with the switch bar.

Figure 7 is a detail in side elevation of the trigger mechanism of thepistol of Figure 1 showing the side opposite to that shown in Figure l.Figure Bis an end view of the mechanism of Figurel.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation showing amodificationof the mechanism of my invention.

With reference to the drawings, I have illustrated in Figure 1 myinvention embodied in a pistol. However, it is not limited to a pistolbut is applicable to other types of guns and toys where light sourcescan provide various effects. a

The pistol is shown as comprising a body section which ispreferablyformed of translucent plastic. The body is preferably formed.of two half sections, one being the section 10 shown and whichcarn'esall the mechanism, a'nd'the'other being a cover body section (notshown).

. Clips 10:: and 1012 are provided on the body section shown for use inremovably attaching the two body sections together- Along the barrelsection of this body section I provide aseries of axially spaced lightbulbs 11, 12, and 13 although'a different number of these bulbs may beprovided. These bulbs are removably held in position by integral plasticfingers 14 for each bulb. The lower contact portions of the bulbs 11,12, and 13 are always in contact with a ground bar 15 which extendsthrough the lower portion of the barrel section and back into the handlesection where it terminates in an upstanding spring contact finger 16.The bar 15 is held in fixed position by means of the anchoring pins 17.

A battery of the flashlight type is removably held between the springcontact finger 16 and a switch bar 19. The switch bar 19 is anchored tothe pistol body section by means of the anchoring pins 20. This switchbar 19 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and includes a resilient springfinger 21 which extends forwardly and is angled laterally relative tothe axis of the pistol barrel section, as shown in Figure 2.

Cooperating with the switch bar 19 to make contact 2 2,783,588 PatentedMar. 5, 1957 at the proper intervals for lighting the bulbs 11, 12, and13 successively is the contactor wire 22 which is'mounted for slidingmovement axially of the barrel section in the lugs 23 attached to thewall thereof, so that it will be held in sliding contact with the sidesof the bulb contact portions as indicated in Figure 1. This contact wire22 is shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The wire 22 is coated with asuitable non-conductive coating, for example, of plastic. A suitablecoating is Formvar manufactured by General Electric Company. Thiscoating is removed at three intervals along the length of the wire asindicated at 11a, 12a, and 13a in Figures 3 and 4.

For reciprocating the contactor wire 22, a trigger-actuated cylinderpiston and spring tension unit is provided which includes the piston 25that reciprocates in the cylinder 26 and extends from the forward endthereof. The cylinder 26 is anchored in place in the handle section ofthe pistol by means of the lugs 27. The piston 25 is provided with alaterally-turned forward end 23 about which the rear end of thecontactor wire 22 is coiled, as shown in Figure 4. This coiled portionis provided with an upstanding contact fingerv 29 which is shown inFigures 1, 3, 5, and 6. This finger is coated with plastic except thatit is removed from the one side, which will be the back side in Figures1' and 6.

I The piston 25 is normally held in its forward position by meansof atension spring 30 (Figure 7) which is an-:

chored at its front end to a pin 31 on the body section and has its rearend connected to the lateral end 28 of the piston. Thus, since thepiston 25 is' normally held in its forwardmost position, the contactorwire 22 (Figure. I) connected thereto is also held in its forwardmostposition.

To move the piston 25 rearwardly against the' action of the spring 30, Iprovide the trigger mechanism cluding the trigger 32 (Figures 1 and 7)that is slidably; mounted on the body section in association with atrigger. guard 33. This trigger 32 is provided with an UPSlLaIld-f ingpawl lug 34 at its rear upper corner to which atrigger pawl 35 ispivoted at 36 for vertical swinging movement." The pawl 35 extendsforwardly beneath the piston 25 and its forward end is provided with anupstanding toothj37;.

A tension spring 38 has'its rear end connected to 'thefront end of thepawl 35 and its front end anchored to a'. pin'39 carried by the bodysection 10. Normally, with the trigger 32 and the pawl 35 pivotallycarried thereby held in rearwardmost position by the spring 38, thetooth 37 is in engagement with the forward side of the lateral end 28 ofthe piston 25 as shown in Figures 1 and 7.

25 to pull it rearwardly until a cam surface 40 at the forward end ofthe pawl, strikes the forward end of the cylinder support 27, at whichtime the pawl will swing downwardly so that it will be released from thepiston,

and the spring'3tl will then pull the piston forwardly back to theoriginal rest position shown in Figure 1. The pawl is provided with arearward extension 41.

As the piston 25 is drawn rearwardly, the contactor wire 22 is pulledrearwardly along with the upstanding finger 29 thereof. The finger 29 isso located that when it moves rearwardly its coated side contacts theinner side of segment 21 of the switch bar 19 and snaps around the rearend of the segment 21. Now when it moves forwardly its bare sidecontacts the outer side of the bar, as shown in Figure 6, and connectsthe battery 18 with the contactor wire 22. As the finger 29 moves offthe forward end of the segment 21 it again snaps inwardly so that whenmoved rearwardly again it will engage the inner side of the segment 21.

As the trigger 32 is pulled rearwardly the pawl extension 41 engages theupper free end of a sound-producing spring 45. This spring 45 is a flatspring which is anchored at 46 at the lower end of the'handle section.When the upper vertical end 47 thereof is en- ,sag y h rmi -ex sion 4 thspr A 'ben 'r'a atdlr; hu as 'qn a the t g e relea ed the p ns l jsf apo v f r l' n w ll v ib at to Produc asoiind.

lntheiatrest position of, the contactor wire 222; shown in Figure 1,none of the bulbs are lighted-because the circuit is open due to thefact that the contact finger 29 is not in contact with switch segment21. Likewise, the bulbs are not lighted while contactor .wire ,22,isbeing moved to the rearward positionhecause-finger 29;"is .behindtheswitch bar segment21 (Figure 1)'in-whioh position ,the plasticinsulating m at er ial on the finger 29 separates these two circuitelements. However, after Qnta Q .wi '2 spulled .rearwar y y p l thetrigger and the triggerrelezises the moving part of the mechanism, wire22 moves, forwardly so that the bare sections 11a, 12a, and 13a arerapidly brought in succession into contact with the contact portions ofthe bulbs 11, 12, and 13. At the same .time, finger .29 is on the frontside of the switchv barsegment 21 (Figure 6) in which positionelectrical contact is made because theibareiside of the fingeris incontact with fthe switch barsegment 21. The bare sectionsfllla, 12a, and13a will be accurately disposedso that a. circuit to each'bulb will becompleted successively and the bulbs-will' be lighted .at successiveintervals. Since "the barrel, of the pistol .iwill'be translucent "orsome equivalent, this will givethe illusion .of a projectile passingthrough the barrel. 'On the. rearward movement of the trigger none of..the ;bulbs are lighted but .on the-forward move'rnent all therbulbs arelighted inrapid-sucoession;

,In Figure :9, 'I'have' illustrated amodified arrangement ofmyinvention; In this figure the connector wire 22b is in contact with. thesame'sides of the bulbs' llb and 13b and the opposite side ot-the bulb125. A ground bar b is associated with the bulbs as beforje. The

piston 25b and the cylinder 26b are-reversed and the spring b draws thepiston rearwardly. The contact finger 29b is arranged to engage--theswitch bar 19b, connected to the battery 18b, 'on the rearward movementof the piston so that the connector-wire 22b will suecessively completethe circuit from the battery 'l 8b to each of the-bulbs 11b, 1 2b, and13b. The battery 18b is connected by a connector 50 to a buzzer 5, theconnector .50 being also connected to the' ground bar 15bl Anotherconnector ear" 52' extends from the battery and terminatesalong theswitch bar 1%. Thelend' of this bar 52 .is disposedalong the, switch bar19b ,so that the finger2li 'jw illis-lide ireaiuvardlytherealong' atsame time that the finge r slides along the switch bar '19b. Y Thusfwhenthe" piston: 25b moves ,rearwardly, a 'circuit to the buzierfand'al'soft'o mannin 11b, '1 2b, and 13b is completed, the bare spots onthe connector wire 22b being arranged to' light the bulbs successively.The pawl and trigger arrangementiwill be substantially as before, thepawl 35b engaging the turned end 28b of the piston 25b on the rearwardmovement of the trigger until it is released to permit the rearwardmovement of the piston with the connector wire 2212. This rearwardmovement, as indicated, will successively light the bulbs 11b, 12b, and13b and simultaneously operate the sound buzzer 51.

It will be apparent that I have provided a toy gun in which movement ofa projectile or energy is closely simulated without the dangers presentwhen actual projectiles are used. Furthermore, I provide noise-makingmeans in the gun which makes it more realistic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A toy gun of the type described comprising a translucent barrelhaving a series of light bulbs and associated contacts supported atintervals therealong, a source of electric current, means for connectingsaid light-bulb contacts successively to said source ofcurrent, saidne-ans comprising, a contact wire mounted for reciprocation inengagement with said contacts of said light; bulbs, ,said iwire beingcoated with an insulating coating but having ,the coating removed ,atareas which will successively contact said contactsIof successive bulbsat intervals, and trigger mechanism operatively connected to :saidcontact wire to produce reciprocation thereof.

,2. ;A1toy .gun according to claim 1 in which said means for connectingthe lightbulb contacts to the source of .currentIincludes a switch barand a switch finger movable on opposite sides of said switch bar uponreciprocation..of'saidwire, said switch finger being coated with aninsulating coating on one side only so that-it makes electric contactwith said bar in one direction of movement only, and means forreciprocating said contact wire and said switch finger simultaneously.

3. A toy gun according to claim 2 in which said reciprocating meanscomprises a piston, said trigger mechanism comprising means for pullingthe piston rearwardlyand thenreleasing it, and a spring for returningthe piston to its original position.

4. A toy gun according to claim 3 including noiseproducing-rneansactuated upon the return movement of said piston, lsaid noise-producingmeans comprising a vibrating-spring engaged by said trigger mechanism.

Atoy gun'acclording to claim 3 including noiseproducingmeans comprisingan electric alarm device, connected to said source of current, and meansactuated by said piston for completing the circuit.v to said device.

Ieferences Z'itedjn the file of this patent .UNI'EEQYSTATVES PATENTS1,575,943 Dever Mar. 2, 1926 2,159,085 -Heil M y .139 2,276,378 ,DuguayMar. 17, 1942- 2,565,910 Conover Aug. '18, .1951 2,587,458 Fritts Feb.26, 1952 2,734,310 Christopher Feb. 14, 1956

